From the page: A wall asking for a fresh start
Idea 9
Pallet wall panel
Covering worn walls with boards is an old technique from barns and country houses, where raw wood solved imperfection and insulation in one go. It works because the battens attached to the wall distribute the weight and create a ventilation gap, preventing moisture from getting trapped behind the boards.
What you need
- 1 or 2 wooden pallets in good condition (no mold and no moisture stains)
- Saw (hand saw or jigsaw)
- Small hammer and crowbar or lever to disassemble the pallet
- Battens or thin strips for the mounting structure
- Screws with anchors and a drill (or thick nails)
- Medium sandpaper (80 grit) and fine sandpaper (120 grit)
- Tape measure, pencil and level
- Old cooking oil or wax for finishing (optional)
How to make it
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1
Disassemble the pallet carefully, hammering and levering the boards so they don't crack — whole pieces go further and make fitting easier. Set aside the best boards and set aside those that are soft or stained.
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2
Sand each board starting with the medium sandpaper and finishing with the fine one, always along the grain — this removes splinters and leaves the surface pleasant to the touch, essential on an interior wall.
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3
Attach the battens to the wall vertically, with level and anchors, spaced every 40 to 50 cm — they are the base that absorbs the wall's irregularity and holds the panel's weight without overloading the fastening.
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4
Prepare the wall underneath: scrape off the loose paint and, if there is active moisture, let it dry well first — the wood covers the visual problem, but does not fix moisture coming from inside the wall.
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5
Screw the boards onto the battens, leaving a 2 to 3 mm gap between them — this gap allows the wood to move with humidity variations without warping or pushing against its neighbor.
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6
Finish by rubbing old cooking oil or wax with a cloth — this nourishes the fiber and protects against drying out, with no need for varnish.
Finishing touches
Alternate boards of different thicknesses and tones to create a visual rhythm of organic slatwork. If you like, leave a strip at the top as a built-in shallow shelf — taking advantage of the fact that the structure is already anchored to the wall.
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